Call to Action: Contact legislators to support hospice

All supporters of hospice care in the U.S. are encouraged to contact their legislators July 14 through 16, 2015, as part of the hospice community's annual legislative event on Capitol Hill.

On July 14, nearly 300 Hospice Advocates, representing 48 states and districts, and every discipline in the Interdisciplinary Team, are in Washington, DC, visiting more than 400 Congressional offices to call for support of hospice.

Individuals across the country also can make a tangible difference for hospices by participating from their homes across the nation. Hospice Action Network and NHPCO are encouraging all hospice supporters to call their Members of Congress and take specific actions that will not only benefit the hospice community but allow hospices to better serve the people for which they care.   

Advocates will be asking their Senators to support The Care Planning Act of 2015 (S 1549) designed to give people with serious illness the freedom to make more informed choices about their card, and the power to have those choices honoured. Additionally, Senators will be asked to join the Sign-on Letter written by Senators Roberts and Warner that calls for CMS to test hospice payment changes that were included in the FY2016 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

Members of the House of Representatives will be asked to co-sponsor The Hospice Care Access Improvement Act of 2015 (HR 3037) that was just introduced yesterday, July 13, 2015. This legislation calls for a one year testing period to ensure any payment methodology reforms proposed by CMS will be implemented with minimal unintended complications or consequences. The opportunity to test any system changes and conduct the necessary education and training would benefit CMS and the hospice provider community. The legislation also contains a number of program integrity provisions long-supported by the hospice community.

The Hospice Action Network has created an easy to use online "Click to Call" Campaign that will help people understand the issue and then connect them to their Congressional representatives. The whole process should take no longer than 30 minutes, start to finish- that’s all it takes for you to make a difference.